Aaron Rodgers Speaks out on Former Steelers Assistant Brian Flores’ NFL Future
Veteran defensive assistant Brian Flores has regained his great reputation around the league. The Pittsburgh Steelers helped Flores do that in his lone season as the organization’s linebackers and senior defensive assistant.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers wasn’t on that team. However, it’s clear the 41-year-old has a lot of respect for the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator.
So much respect, in fact, that Rodgers suggested it won’t be long before Flores is overqualified for his current gig.
“He’s a phenomenal coach,” Rodgers told reporters Wednesday.”He was here a few years ago.
“It’s good to see him in a position of leadership. I feel like he probably should, at some point, get another [head] coaching job based on the way that he’s coached defense last couple years.
“The schemes they run and the way they’re coached, there’s a lot of really good chemistry and continuity on that side that doesn’t just come from from players. There’s a schematic part of that. It’s really impressive.”
Rodgers and the Steelers offense will have to overcome the Vikings defensive chemistry and continuity Sunday. The two teams will meet in Dublin, Ireland at 9:30 am ET.
Brian Flores’ Previous Record as NFL Head Coach
What Rodgers said wasn’t controversial. Although it was complimentary, it’s rather standard for players to rave about upcoming opponents.
Three years ago, though, that would have been a different story. The Miami Dolphins fired Flores following the 2021 campaign, and the former head coach was unable to land another head coaching role.
Flores went 24-25 as the Dolphins head coach. While that mark isn’t overly impressive, he arguably led the team to an overachieving record in each of his first two seasons.
The Dolphins fired Flores despite two straight winning season to end his tenure. Miami moved on from Flores even though the coach led the franchise to at least nine games in back-to-back campaigns for the first time in nearly two decades.
“By all accounts, Flores and the 2019 Dolphins were set up for failure. That was the infamous “Tank for Tua” year that saw Miami trade several notable starters that included Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Kenyan Drake. Not surprisingly, the Dolphins started 0-7 and were being compared to some of the worst teams in NFL history,” wrote CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo.
“Miami, however, showed considerable resolve by winning five of its final nine times that included consecutive wins over Cincinnati in New England to close out the season.”
After the Dolphins fired Flores, the former head coach filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL, Miami, and other teams in the league, alleging racial discrimination. Due to the lawsuit, it was unclear if Flores would get any job in the league again.
But he did immediately on Tomlin’s staff in Pittsburgh. That led to Flores earning the defensive coordinator role with the Vikings a year later.
Over the past three seasons, he has experienced a career revival in Minnesota.
Rodgers Looking for Better Performance vs. Flores Defense
In the early part of free agency, a lot of pundits projected Rodgers to join Flores and the Vikings. Instead, the veteran quarterback will be looking for a much better performance vs. the team than he had last year.
Ironically, Rodgers faced Flores and the Vikings in Europe during the 2024 campaign just as he will this Sunday. With the New York Jets, Rodgers struggled against Flores’s unit, completing only 29 of 54 passes for 244 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
Rodgers posted a 53.7% completion percentage and only 4.5 yards per pass in the matchup.
That was arguably the turning point for Rodgers with the Jets last year. The loss to the Vikings in Week 5 dropped New York to 2-3. The team fired head coach Robert Salah after the defeat. New York then finished the season going 3-9 in their final 12 games.
Rodgers and the Steelers are 2-1 despite two below average offensive performances the past two weeks. But if the quarterback can be better this time against Flores, then Rodgers could have the opportunity to use the Vikings matchup as a turning point for the better in 2025.
Bears Coach Doesn’t Hold Back on Raiders’ Ashton Jeanty Before Week 4 Game
The Las Vegas Raiders have faced some of the NFL’s stingiest run defenses through their first three games. The New England Patriots (181 yards), Los Angeles Chargers (284 yards), and Washington Commanders (302 yards) rank among the league leaders in fewest rushing yards allowed,
As the Raiders prepare to take on the Chicago Bears, the ground game could see a boost. Chicago has surrendered 418 rushing yards so far this season, and this Week 4 matchup might be what Ashton Jeanty needs to find his rhythm.
Despite not having the best run defense, Chicago will not want to be the team that Jeanty goes off on. Ahead of the Week 4 clash, Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen shared his thoughts on Jeanty and noted what they need to avoid doing to ensure his rushing struggles continue.
“He’s a violent runner,” Allen told the media on September 25. “He gets into the second and third level of the defense, seeking out contact. He runs extremely hard. I think he’s an outstanding player. He has
“He runs violent. You have to get a lot of hacks around the ball on him. You really don’t want him to have free access into the second or third level of your defense because if he gets there, you have to bring your hard hat—it’s going to be a collision.”
Opposing Defenses Are Taking Away the Raiders’ Run Game
While much attention is on the Raiders’ offensive line and Jeanty, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly points to the opposing defenses for shutting down their running game.
“I think it’s the defenses right now,” Kelly told reporters on September 25. “If you look at it statistically, Ashton Jeanty’s tied for 10th in the league for carries with two other guys.
“Everybody else—Saquon Barkley averages 3.3 yards per carry, Christian McCaffrey averages three yards per carry. So Ashton Jeanty’s right in the bunch with those guys. I think across the league through the first three games, defenses are ahead of offenses at a big rate… That’s just the league. Sometimes defenses are ahead, then offenses catch up, and it goes back and forth. That’s the nature of this game.”
Raiders Are Making Slow Progress
In the 41-24 defeat to the Commanders on September 21 at Northwest Stadium, the Raiders managed only 93 rushing yards, led by Jeanty’s 63. The 21-year-old carried the ball 17 times, averaging 3.7 yards per attempt.
While it marks a slight improvement, Las Vegas will need a significantly more productive running game to sustain success as the season unfolds. The key question remains whether Jeanty and the rushing attack can make a substantial leap forward, rather than just another incremental step. Still, if Jeanty has the breakout game that many want to see, all the concerns over the player will begin to fade.
